Naperville Unit District 203 educators say they are already seeing the benefits of the new all-day kindergarten program and will recommend extending it to the remaining elementary schools next fall.

While the program came in slightly over budget, teachers say the extra time in the classroom has given them a chance to tailor instruction to students with different abilities.

"As we talked to all of our kindergarten teachers that are implementing full-day it was unanimous that time has been the biggest gift for both the teachers and students in terms of implementing our new literacy and math curriculum," said Lynn Henz, a kindergarten teacher at Elmwood.

This fall the district started offering the all-day program at seven Title 1 schools, which are those that receive federal funds to assist low-income students. Those schools are Beebe, Ellsworth, Elmwood, Mill, Naper, River Woods and Scott.

When the program was approved last winter, administrators said they hoped to be able to offer it to the remaining seven elementary schools in the fall of 2014.

Henz and Scott Elementary kindergarten teacher Jane Sterrett shared their experiences thus far with the school board and said the extra time is not only valuable from an educational standpoint, but also allows them to get to know their students better.

"Knowing the children we teach individually, culturally and developmentally is as important as knowing the content we teach," Henz said.

Sterrett said they can go through the day "in a much more relaxed and less-hurried manner" and can give students opportunities to work independently.

Operating costs came in higher and state reimbursement came in lower than anticipated, according to Chief Financial Officer Brad Cauffman. That means the program cost the district about $1.23 million, roughly $45,000 more than planned.

Chief Academic Officer Jennifer Hester said the curriculum for kindergarten students at the remaining seven schools is the same, but parents from several of those schools urged the school board to give them an all-day option next fall.

"I appreciate that full-day implementation of kindergarten carries with it a number of logistical and budgetary challenges, but I believe the positive outcomes are well worth the cost," parent Kathy Carnahan said.

Parent Anne Deckard agreed.

"An all-day program will better prepare our kindergarten students for Common Core and gives them the solid foundation they need to be competitive in life," she said.

On Oct. 21, Superintendent Dan Bridges will bring the school board a formal recommendation to expand the program next fall. The board could then take a vote as early as Nov. 4.